New Kentucky coach Mark Stoops talks with reporters during the Southeastern Conference football Media Days in Hoover, Ala. last July.

Written by

Paul Myerberg
USA Today Sports

For more than a week this summer, the University of Kentucky had the top-ranked recruiting class in college football.

It includes verbal commitments from eight four-star prospects, including three players ranked among the top 130 recruits in the country, according to Rivals.com. One of those is a quarterback, Drew Barker, who has said he'll sight with the Wildcats over offers from Tennessee, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Mississippi.

Kentucky is just 1-2 this season, but its projected 2014 class is still ranked in the nation's top seven - and the perfect example of a college football ...